CHS Summer Reading Recommendations

Chatham English Teachers' Book Recommendations for You!

CHS Summer Reading Recommendations

Chatham English Teachers' Book Recommendations for You!

What are you reading this summer?

Summer is the perfect time to enjoy a great book! Below Chatham High School English teachers offer you their book suggestions. We can't wait to hear what you read this summer!

The Job: True Tales from the Life of a New York City Cop by Steve Osborne

Osborne, a self-professed C student, didn’t consider himself an author -- until he retired from the NYPD and started writing. Mature language and content -- be forewarned!-- but it’s an engaging read, especially if you’re considering a career in law enforcement, sociology or criminal justice.

~Recommended by Oona Abrams

Sutton by JR Moehringer

Historical fiction based on the true account of New York’s most notorious bank robber, Willie Sutton. In 1969, Sutton was released from prison and granted only one interview. He spent one day with a reporter and a photographer, and in real life, the resulting article was unimpressive. Moehringer reimagines not only that day, but Sutton’s entire life, bringing readers into the thoughts of a criminal mastermind who, paradoxically, happens to be a man with a good heart.

~Recommended by Oona Abrams

Maya’s Notebook by Isabel Allende

From the first pages of Allende’s novel, the reader knows that Maya is in trouble. She’s on the run from the international authorities and a Las Vegas gang, finding temporary sanctuary at the residence of a distant cousin in a remote Chilean village. Allende crafts the novel to tell the entire story of Maya’s life in a series of structured flashbacks, all the while moving the suspenseful present plot line forward.

~Recommended by Oona Abrams

The Job: True Tales from the Life of a New York City Cop by Steve Osborne

Osborne, a self-professed C student, didn’t consider himself an author -- until he retired from the NYPD and started writing. Mature language and content -- be forewarned!-- but it’s an engaging read, especially if you’re considering a career in law enforcement, sociology or criminal justice.

~Recommended by Oona Abrams

Sutton by JR Moehringer

Historical fiction based on the true account of New York’s most notorious bank robber, Willie Sutton. In 1969, Sutton was released from prison and granted only one interview. He spent one day with a reporter and a photographer, and in real life, the resulting article was unimpressive. Moehringer reimagines not only that day, but Sutton’s entire life, bringing readers into the thoughts of a criminal mastermind who, paradoxically, happens to be a man with a good heart.

~Recommended by Oona Abrams

Maya’s Notebook by Isabel Allende

From the first pages of Allende’s novel, the reader knows that Maya is in trouble. She’s on the run from the international authorities and a Las Vegas gang, finding temporary sanctuary at the residence of a distant cousin in a remote Chilean village. Allende crafts the novel to tell the entire story of Maya’s life in a series of structured flashbacks, all the while moving the suspenseful present plot line forward.

~Recommended by Oona Abrams

13 Hours: The Inside Account of What Really Happened in Benghazi by Mitchell Zuckoff

This short and impactful book tells the story of 6 American operatives and the hours leading up to the 13 hours they spent staving off attackers of an Americans compound. Zuckoff uses concise language that really brings the men and their experiences to life. Not knowing much about the situation prior to opening the book does not affect the reading experience at all. This book is so unbelievable, yet it’s true and that makes all the difference. This book made me a fan of this author.

~Recommended by Nick Agelis

The Orchardist by Amanda Chopin

Similar to Steinbeck in a "landscape drives the plot" kind of way. This is a quietly suspenseful novel that, when you are finished, will leave you far more moved than you previously thought possible. Lovers of language will be riveted by the writing.

~Recommended by Tina Lesnewich

Wild by Cheryl Strayed

Strayed has taken what could be an outlandish adventure memoir and made it a story of true survival. The account of her expedition hiking the Pacific Crest Trail (the west coast's Appalachian Mountains)is both exhilarating and exhausting: we are there every sore step of the way as Strayed deals with the demons in her past and those lurking around each switchback. Lovers of memoir, lovers of adventure, and lovers of books will find a place to connect with Strayed.

~Recommended by Tina Lesnewich

13 Hours: The Inside Account of What Really Happened in Benghazi by Mitchell Zuckoff

This short and impactful book tells the story of 6 American operatives and the hours leading up to the 13 hours they spent staving off attackers of an Americans compound. Zuckoff uses concise language that really brings the men and their experiences to life. Not knowing much about the situation prior to opening the book does not affect the reading experience at all. This book is so unbelievable, yet it’s true and that makes all the difference. This book made me a fan of this author.

~Recommended by Nick Agelis

The Orchardist by Amanda Chopin

Similar to Steinbeck in a "landscape drives the plot" kind of way. This is a quietly suspenseful novel that, when you are finished, will leave you far more moved than you previously thought possible. Lovers of language will be riveted by the writing.

~Recommended by Tina Lesnewich

Wild by Cheryl Strayed

Strayed has taken what could be an outlandish adventure memoir and made it a story of true survival. The account of her expedition hiking the Pacific Crest Trail (the west coast's Appalachian Mountains)is both exhilarating and exhausting: we are there every sore step of the way as Strayed deals with the demons in her past and those lurking around each switchback. Lovers of memoir, lovers of adventure, and lovers of books will find a place to connect with Strayed.

~Recommended by Tina Lesnewich

Maus by Art Spiegelman

Not typically a lover of "comics," I was blown away by the language and plot of the story. Spiegelman recounts his father's experience during the Holocaust in a way that is both unique and profoundly personal. Not just for fans of the graphic novel, these books challenge what we know about writing, art, and--most importantly--humanity.

~Recommended by Tina Lesnewich

Noggin by John Corey Whaley

After having his head cryogenically frozen for five years, Travis Coates wakes up with his head reattached to a new, healthier body. He has been gone just long enough for his friends and girlfriend to graduate high school and move on to a new life, but not long enough for them to outgrow him or stop loving him. This National Book Award Finalist tells a very unrealistic story through very real moments, feelings, and conversations. Travis is funny, confused, and committed to making the most of his second chance at life.

~Recommended by Melissa Bryan

The Circle by Dave Eggers

Twenty-something Mae Holland lands her dream job at the nation’s largest and most admired tech company, “The Circle,” but the company’s inner workings prove to be much darker than anyone (including Mae) knows. In the great tradition of dystopian fiction, this novel asks readers to look critically at their world - in particular, at our cultural obsession with social media. Eggers raises rich questions about the nature of privacy and what we trade in return for lives that are constantly “connected.”

~Recommended by Shannon Falkner

Maus by Art Spiegelman

Not typically a lover of "comics," I was blown away by the language and plot of the story. Spiegelman recounts his father's experience during the Holocaust in a way that is both unique and profoundly personal. Not just for fans of the graphic novel, these books challenge what we know about writing, art, and--most importantly--humanity.

~Recommended by Tina Lesnewich

Noggin by John Corey Whaley

After having his head cryogenically frozen for five years, Travis Coates wakes up with his head reattached to a new, healthier body. He has been gone just long enough for his friends and girlfriend to graduate high school and move on to a new life, but not long enough for them to outgrow him or stop loving him. This National Book Award Finalist tells a very unrealistic story through very real moments, feelings, and conversations. Travis is funny, confused, and committed to making the most of his second chance at life.

~Recommended by Melissa Bryan

The Circle by Dave Eggers

Twenty-something Mae Holland lands her dream job at the nation’s largest and most admired tech company, “The Circle,” but the company’s inner workings prove to be much darker than anyone (including Mae) knows. In the great tradition of dystopian fiction, this novel asks readers to look critically at their world - in particular, at our cultural obsession with social media. Eggers raises rich questions about the nature of privacy and what we trade in return for lives that are constantly “connected.”

~Recommended by Shannon Falkner

Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

Part transnational romance, part scathing social critique of American perceptions of race, part coming-of-age story, part commentary on the impact of globalization, this book does it all and does it all well. The novel tells the story of Ifemelu and Obinze, a young Nigerian couple deeply in love, whose paths diverge when Ifemelu accepts a college scholarship offer in the US. Ifemelu discovers that, in America, her skin color is the defining feature of her identity, and she begins blogging about her experiences around race. Be prepared for humor and heartbreak in equal measure.

~Recommended by Shannon Falkner

Me Before You by JoJo Moyes

A young, vibrant young man is hit by a car while walking to work in the rain in London; thus ends his active life of skiing and hiking - or so he believes - as he is now a quadriplegic. He believes that his parents have no idea that he plans to end his life, but in fact they do know and hire a “companion” for him whom they charge with saving his life. The companion’s life is no bed of roses, as she lives in a dysfunctional home and struggles with the direction of her own life. Will she be able to persuade him to live? Keep the tissues handy…

~Recommended by Cindy Gagliardi

Close Your Eyes, Hold Hands by Chris Bohjalian

Set in fictional modern-day Vermont, Emily Shepard finds herself homeless as the nuclear power plant in her hometown doesn’t just melt down; it explodes. Her father is responsible, and both of her parents are killed at the plant when the fire occurs. A story of survival and the awful, often self-deprecating, lengths we go to in order endure, this new teen voice by Bohjalian is wonderful. Note: some mature themes and language.

~Recommended by Cindy Gagliardi

Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

Part transnational romance, part scathing social critique of American perceptions of race, part coming-of-age story, part commentary on the impact of globalization, this book does it all and does it all well. The novel tells the story of Ifemelu and Obinze, a young Nigerian couple deeply in love, whose paths diverge when Ifemelu accepts a college scholarship offer in the US. Ifemelu discovers that, in America, her skin color is the defining feature of her identity, and she begins blogging about her experiences around race. Be prepared for humor and heartbreak in equal measure.

~Recommended by Shannon Falkner

Me Before You by JoJo Moyes

A young, vibrant young man is hit by a car while walking to work in the rain in London; thus ends his active life of skiing and hiking - or so he believes - as he is now a quadriplegic. He believes that his parents have no idea that he plans to end his life, but in fact they do know and hire a “companion” for him whom they charge with saving his life. The companion’s life is no bed of roses, as she lives in a dysfunctional home and struggles with the direction of her own life. Will she be able to persuade him to live? Keep the tissues handy…

~Recommended by Cindy Gagliardi

Close Your Eyes, Hold Hands by Chris Bohjalian

Set in fictional modern-day Vermont, Emily Shepard finds herself homeless as the nuclear power plant in her hometown doesn’t just melt down; it explodes. Her father is responsible, and both of her parents are killed at the plant when the fire occurs. A story of survival and the awful, often self-deprecating, lengths we go to in order endure, this new teen voice by Bohjalian is wonderful. Note: some mature themes and language.

~Recommended by Cindy Gagliardi

All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr

With gorgeous, poetic prose, Doerr tells the beautiful and tragic stories of a German boy and a blind French girl during World War II. One of the most haunting things about it was seeing how the Hitler Youth functioned and targeted the vulnerable. While I didn’t want to put it down, I found myself reading the vignettes slowly (and sometimes more than once) so as to not miss the beauty of the writing. It will make you feel and make you think long after you’ve finished it.

~Recommended by Christina McCabe

Mama Day by Gloria Naylor

Cocoa is a young woman who has her foot in two worlds: one in Manhattan, where she is living on soup and struggling as a freelancer, and the other in Willow Springs Island, where she is taken care of by her 100-year-old great-aunt Miranda. Miranda is the matriarch of the island community who possesses other-worldly attributes, such as the ability to summon lightning with her cane. When Cocoa travels from New York back to the island, she starts to understand the difference between a world based on tangible/material precepts and a world based on superstition and folklore. Naylor uses the genre of magical realism to turn the conventions of the modern world on its head and to innovatively explore issues of race and gender. Who doesn't love books with maps of magical places?

~Recommended by Meghan Marohn

Twelve Years a Slave by Solomon Northup

The story of a free black man from upstate NY, who is kidnapped and sold into slavery in 1841. One of the most unbelievable and eloquently told true stories I have ever read.

~Recommended by Anthony Ricciardi

All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr

With gorgeous, poetic prose, Doerr tells the beautiful and tragic stories of a German boy and a blind French girl during World War II. One of the most haunting things about it was seeing how the Hitler Youth functioned and targeted the vulnerable. While I didn’t want to put it down, I found myself reading the vignettes slowly (and sometimes more than once) so as to not miss the beauty of the writing. It will make you feel and make you think long after you’ve finished it.

~Recommended by Christina McCabe

Mama Day by Gloria Naylor

Cocoa is a young woman who has her foot in two worlds: one in Manhattan, where she is living on soup and struggling as a freelancer, and the other in Willow Springs Island, where she is taken care of by her 100-year-old great-aunt Miranda. Miranda is the matriarch of the island community who possesses other-worldly attributes, such as the ability to summon lightning with her cane. When Cocoa travels from New York back to the island, she starts to understand the difference between a world based on tangible/material precepts and a world based on superstition and folklore. Naylor uses the genre of magical realism to turn the conventions of the modern world on its head and to innovatively explore issues of race and gender. Who doesn't love books with maps of magical places?

~Recommended by Meghan Marohn

Twelve Years a Slave by Solomon Northup

The story of a free black man from upstate NY, who is kidnapped and sold into slavery in 1841. One of the most unbelievable and eloquently told true stories I have ever read.

~Recommended by Anthony Ricciardi

The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros

The simple but elegantly told coming of age story of a Mexican-American girl whose family lives in a poor hispanic neighborhood in Chicago for one year. It’s a deceptively petite volume that is dense with symbolism, complexity and beauty, much of which is expressed through the author’s use of poetic language and form, as well as through the narrator’s bicultural identity. If you dig into this book, it will surprise you.

~Recommended by Anthony Ricciardi

The Tao of Pooh by Benjamin Hoff

Explains Taoism through the characters of Winnie-the-Pooh. Pooh himself is the unwitting guru of the Taoist principles in this humorous and simple book. Even if you are not interested in Taoism or eastern philosophy, read it and you will feel better about moments of indecisiveness, ignorance, or indolence.

~Recommended by Anthony Ricciardi

Behind the Beautiful Forevers by Katherine Boo

This is a spectacular book about a poverty stricken settlement in Mumbai, India. It is a story of lives filled with pain, heartache, corruption, anger and frustration. And yet Boo tells the story with grace and compassion. It is beautifully written non-fiction that will leave you forever changed.

~Recommended by Heather Rocco

The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros

The simple but elegantly told coming of age story of a Mexican-American girl whose family lives in a poor hispanic neighborhood in Chicago for one year. It’s a deceptively petite volume that is dense with symbolism, complexity and beauty, much of which is expressed through the author’s use of poetic language and form, as well as through the narrator’s bicultural identity. If you dig into this book, it will surprise you.

~Recommended by Anthony Ricciardi

The Tao of Pooh by Benjamin Hoff

Explains Taoism through the characters of Winnie-the-Pooh. Pooh himself is the unwitting guru of the Taoist principles in this humorous and simple book. Even if you are not interested in Taoism or eastern philosophy, read it and you will feel better about moments of indecisiveness, ignorance, or indolence.

~Recommended by Anthony Ricciardi

Behind the Beautiful Forevers by Katherine Boo

This is a spectacular book about a poverty stricken settlement in Mumbai, India. It is a story of lives filled with pain, heartache, corruption, anger and frustration. And yet Boo tells the story with grace and compassion. It is beautifully written non-fiction that will leave you forever changed.

~Recommended by Heather Rocco

Reconstructing Amelia by Kimberly McCreight

This book is a true page turner. Right from the beginning, the reader is lured in trying to find out why smart, young, beautiful Amelia would kill herself. Her single-mother Kate is completely distraught until she gets a mysterious text say, “You and I both know that she did not jump”. At this point, her sadness turns to confusion and we are taken on a mysterious journey to find out why Amelia was killed and who framed it as a suicide.

~Recommended by Kris Fallon

I’ll Give You the Sun by Jandy Nelson

This book is for the lover of truly intense, complicated relationships. Jude and her twin brother, Noah, are incredibly close. The story begins with both in seventh grade and gives a brief glimpse into the troubles that they are having. Three years later, Jude and Noah are barely speaking. Something has happened to emotionally the twins in different and dramatic ways.The early years are Noah's story to tell. The later years are Jude's. What the twins don't realize is that they each have only half the story, and if they could just find their way back to one another, they’d have a chance to remake their world.

~Recommended by Kris Fallon

The Secret History by Donna Tartt

The Secret History engages the reader from the first chapter, tactfully, carefully and purposefully dropping hints and leads about the upcoming twists in the plot lines. Though some might argue she reveals too much, her revelatory statements give readers just enough information to pique their interests and keep the pages turning. I thought the novel's construction was smart. Its characters were complex and perplexing. Ms. Lesnewich recommended it to me, and it was a great read.

~Recommended by Heather Rocco

Reconstructing Amelia by Kimberly McCreight

This book is a true page turner. Right from the beginning, the reader is lured in trying to find out why smart, young, beautiful Amelia would kill herself. Her single-mother Kate is completely distraught until she gets a mysterious text say, “You and I both know that she did not jump”. At this point, her sadness turns to confusion and we are taken on a mysterious journey to find out why Amelia was killed and who framed it as a suicide.

~Recommended by Kris Fallon

I’ll Give You the Sun by Jandy Nelson

This book is for the lover of truly intense, complicated relationships. Jude and her twin brother, Noah, are incredibly close. The story begins with both in seventh grade and gives a brief glimpse into the troubles that they are having. Three years later, Jude and Noah are barely speaking. Something has happened to emotionally the twins in different and dramatic ways.The early years are Noah's story to tell. The later years are Jude's. What the twins don't realize is that they each have only half the story, and if they could just find their way back to one another, they’d have a chance to remake their world.

~Recommended by Kris Fallon

The Secret History by Donna Tartt

The Secret History engages the reader from the first chapter, tactfully, carefully and purposefully dropping hints and leads about the upcoming twists in the plot lines. Though some might argue she reveals too much, her revelatory statements give readers just enough information to pique their interests and keep the pages turning. I thought the novel's construction was smart. Its characters were complex and perplexing. Ms. Lesnewich recommended it to me, and it was a great read.